


Her Fun Red Dress

by inadistantworld



Series: That Forever Kind of Love [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Campaign 1 (Critical Role), Clothed Sex, Desk Sex, F/M, Halloween, Light Bondage, Naked Male Clothed Female, Renaissance Faires, Rope Bondage, Semi-Public Sex, Vampire Sex, Vampires, because vampires i'm sure you understand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 18:28:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16269887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inadistantworld/pseuds/inadistantworld
Summary: Vex and Percy have been together for a while and things are getting serious. He shows her the fun of a Ren Faire, she shows him the fun of a great red dress, and together they decide what their future will be.





	Her Fun Red Dress

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything in a long time so I'm rusty on everything, especially the smut, so I tried to keep it short and not awful, but we will see. Also, the rough had more blood than this because vampires and Halloween, but I cut and rewrote a lot of it, so sorry if it seems like there had been a lot more and now there isn't. And, speaking of rough drafts, I don't really edit so much as give it a very brief read through and fix any crazy errors because I don't have the time or energy to do actual editing on something I do for fun/free.  
> Despite all this, I hope you enjoy the second (final?) part of my little vampire au.

Percy’s outfit was lying on the bed with black silk rope beside it. The rope was still neatly wrapped up and really quite boring, but Percy had to force himself not to look at it. He knew it was pointless; Vex could hear his heartbeat and sense his excitement but he tried to control himself anyways. Instead he focused on helping his lover find something to wear.

She was in his closet, specifically the corner dedicated to his nerdy side. Costumes, reenactment outfits, extremely detailed and intense cosplays, and what they were currently interested in which was outfits they could wear to a Ren Faire. Percy had already chosen his, a dark blue jacket that ended past his knees, a white button up, a vest, a gray ascot, some leather bracers and boots, and a few other trinkets and gadgets. Percy didn’t have any dresses like Vex used to have, but he did have something almost as fun.

He watched from an armchair as she got ready. Vex couldn’t seem to stop smiling as dressed and put on her makeup. She wore dark brown pants with the legs rolled up to accommodate her height better, tall leather boots, and a billowy white shirt with the laces at the top undone. She had a belt and a curved sword on the bed and looked in the mirror with her hands on her hips and her chin held high.

“You look like a pirate,” Percy observed with a small smile.

She went back to the closet and began rifling around once again and nonchalantly said, “Darling, when I was a pirate I looked infinitely better than this. I am glad you enjoy it so much, though, it reminds me of what it was like.” She came back with one a tricorn hat and really looked at him for the first time since she’d picked out her clothes.

“You were a pirate?” He asked. Percy was only in a pair of dark gray boxer briefs, the rest of his pale, lean body was there for Vex to ogle at her leisure.

She hummed and walked to the bed, “I was for a little while. Vax and I practically ran the world for a short time, not like royalty or anything, but like the ones who tell royalty what to do.” She winked at her lover, Lord Percival de Rolo, and came back to him with the black rope. “We saw how the pirates impacted the world and we weren’t going to just leave that out of our reach. We were very good friends with three different pirate kings. The fourth one we met I killed.”

Percy arched an eyebrow in disbelief, “Vex’ahlia, you’ve told me incredible stories but I feel like you’re trying to see how much bullshit I’ll believe on this one.”

She laughed lightly and touched one finger to the bottom of his chin and tilted his head up to look at her. She leaned down and kissed him hungrily. When she pulled away she stepped back from the chair and gestured for him to stand in front of her. “I like impressing you much more than lying to you,” she admitted as she unraveled the silk rope.

“Tell me about this incredible part of your life,” he suggested and held his arms up for her to begin to wrap it over his chest.

“Vax and I had the money to buy a ship, hire an experienced crew, and set sail. We were co-captains of _The Trinket_.” She could feel Percy twitch in his reaction as he turned his head to look at her. She smiled and looped the rope around the back of his neck, making an upside down teardrop. “He was a beautiful ship. The captains’ quarters were adapted for us and our sensitivities, I’m not sure if you’ve seen from the pictures or anything but there’s no light that can come into them. We lined the rooms in deep red curtains, just for an aesthetic touch, and we had a very close friend run the ship during the day. We were notorious for attacking ships in the dead of night and that sort of thing. I believe Vax was known as the Raven Captain, something like that. He had a real thing for feathers at the time. The just called me The Huntress.”

“That was you?” He asked incredulously as Vex finished up her knots.

“It was. It was rather short compared to some of our other career choices, but it was rather enjoyable. We were very good at it.”

He laughed as Vex checked to make sure the ropes weren’t too tight. “I’ve read about you two, you were some of the best pirates there were. You were pirate kings for the longer than literally anyone else. Nobody knows who killed you, or I suppose didn’t kill you, and all the books say that when you both disappeared nobody claimed responsibility and so nobody took throne. It led to quite a chaotic time for the pirates.”

“We saw. I was rather impressed, I thought they’d all be begging for a chance to say they’d killed us to try and take the throne. The funeral was lovely too. We had to leave though, it’s hard to stay in such a…prominent place for so long. Our existence requires we lay low.” It wasn’t what Vex truly believed, but it was a quiet reminder to Percy about the cost of her…condition.

Percy stood before her, rope crisscrossing over his chest and over his shoulders and arms, across his back and around the back of his neck. He was utterly beautiful and could still move without any issues, it was more for looks that anything else. “You’ve lived an amazing life.”

“I do miss having wine regularly, I will say that,” Vex said before she kissed him quickly. She ran her hands over his chest and asked, “Is this okay? Are you okay?”

He looked down at himself and nodded, “I’m good, very good.” He grabbed his shirt first and when he finished buttoning it up he said, “It rubs a little, but…it’s good.”

“If it every gets uncomfortable or too much or you’re just not feeling it anymore, let me know. I’ll take it off.” She began to put on her belt and sword.

“I promise I’ll tell you if I want you to take it off.”

Vex helped him finish getting ready in a mostly pleasant quietness. There wasn’t the tense feeling around the unspoken thing that they had been unsure of how to broach. As their relationship became more and more serious the more they could feel the question rising. Would Vex turn him? Unlike the movies, Vex didn’t experience self-loathing dur to her vampirism. Of course at the beginning of her romance with Percy she didn’t exactly want to feed off of him, but that was less because of her nature and more because she didn’t want to use her boyfriend to eat. He was more than that.

Percy’s old friend and Vex’s rather new friend, Pike, had a solution that worked for the most part. She worked in a hospital and was able to get the twins blood pretty easily. Of course Vex and Vax still drank something fresh when they had a real desire for it, in which Percy was a willing and eager source for Vex. Grog was there for Vax, in more ways than just food. Vax had, at first, been displeased about Percy, but once they had settled into a banter and they had begun to interact with Percy’s friends Vax was happier than she’d ever seen him. It had been a long time since they’d had friends like this and neither of them realized how much they needed it.

“Vex?” Percy could see that she had drifted off and she smiled and shook herself from her thoughts at the sound of his voice.

“You’re really quite handsome in all this,” she said and brushed her fingers along his ascot. “You look exactly like the lords I remember.” She looked at his bright blue eyes and the sharp angles of his jaw and then she pressed her hand flat against his chest. “Better, actually.”

She could feel his low laugh against her hand and his fingers found hers as he lifted her hand to his lips. “Are you ready to go?”

She kissed his cheek and for a moment they got to be normal again. When they walked outside Percy opened the door of his silver, sleek car for Vex. She teasingly ran a finger where she knew a line of rope lay against his skin before she took her seat. Percy forced back a shiver that tried to run through him and he shut the door after her and went to the driver’s seat.

It was in the late stages of sunset when they started their drive. Vex wasn’t in danger of unwanted flames or burning, but until the sun dipped low behind the mountains and the sky was more purple than orange she wore a pair of sunglasses to keep away the headache that would come with exposure to sunlight like that. By the time they arrived at Whitestone’s Ren Faire the sun wasn’t an issue.

Vex had been surprised by the fact that the Faire was open until midnight, but Percy showed her some of the activities that were in the later hours and it made much more sense. The shows and competitions became much more adult oriented after the usual hours, which became their excuse for waiting until nightfall to arrive.

Walking through the castle wall styled gate immediately brought a laugh out of Vex as she looked around in something almost like wonder. Percy looked at her with a gentle smile and held his arm out for her to loop hers through. He guided her down the path, along shops, past people in elaborate costumes, past people drinking and heckling each other loudly, past a small stage where someone was proclaiming an upcoming show. They didn’t stop right away, Vex only showed interest in seeing more. Of course there were people not in costume, but every now and then she would lean in to whisper to Percy about aspects that were very close to the way things had been in her early life.

They were stopped before they really paused. A beefy man with a thick, unkempt beard and a tankard in his hand and a charming smile, “Hell yeah man, I dig the kind of vampire vibe you’re going with. If you’re looking for some fake fangs, they’ve got them a few shops down,” he turned and pointed down the path, “it’s that red sign over there.”

Percy answered politely and in his typical almost too formal way, “Thank you, it’s a test run of my Halloween costume. It’s not for a few months, but I thought this would be a good test run. I’ll have to check that place out before we leave, but first we’re looking for Allura’s Tower.” Vex arched an eyebrow and looked over at her lover curiously. He tried very hard not to smile as he felt her eyes on him, but she could see the slight quirk of his lips.

The man nodded and pointed them into the right direction and Vex waited until they had spent a few moments walking in a pleasant quiet before she asked, “What are we looking for in Allura’s Tower?” She asked casually as she attempted to cover up to excitement and interest that he had sparked. Percy was known for drawing out the surprises and Vex, as impatient as she could be for an immortal, loved it.

He kept looking ahead but his smile grew, “I placed an order on something, it’s supposed to be ready to pick up by now.”

“An order? Did you buy something already?”

“I commissioned something technically. It will make sense when we get there.” And Vex could see that he would keep tight lipped on the subject until then.

Vex smiled and leaned into him more, “How are you, darling?” she asked to change the topic.

She could feel his almost tense and his breath hitched as he remembered clearly his situation. He hadn’t forgotten, the rope rubbed too much to forget, but it had moved to the back of his mind when he got caught up in his own plot. “I’m doing very well,” he said in his noble way, which made Vex all the more excited to hear it. How wonderful that he never lost that perfect shine to him, not until he was desperate at least.

They walked in a quiet companionship for a while longer, admiring the atmosphere which Vex found both amusing and nostalgic in the same way she found terrible period movies and shows nostalgic. It was, of course, almost entirely inaccurate, but accuracy was not the point. She was happy to be in a place that reminded her of the fun she used to have. Even better still, Percy was with her for it. Cliché or not, the fun she had now with him was infinitely better than even the best moments of her past (well, there were some pirating moments that came close).

Most of the buildings were permanent, as this was a rather large faire, so Vex wasn’t sure why she expected anything other than a literal tower. It was not stone or anything, but it was a tall, round wooden building that had a sign with its name hanging above the door. And when they walked in Vex bit her lip and smiled broadly.

Dresses, corsets, pants, shirts, vests, even a collection of leather belts, hats, and so many other clothes that one would wear to this event, or, in the case of an immortal, one may have worn once upon a time.

“Percy,” she breathed out as she ran the fabric of a skirt through her fingers.

He watched her with soft, blue eyes full of obvious adoration. And then he said, “We should talk to Allura about my order before we go on.”

Vex;s eyes lit up, “What did you buy, Percival?”

He straightened up a little and cast his eyes around the shop, “You’ll see in a moment, my dear.”

They found her, a tall blonde woman with one braid over each shoulder, standing near the counter and talking to a shorter woman with dark smudges on her cheeks and a blacksmith’s apron. Percy politely cleared his throat and the blonde turned to them and immediately smiled and strode over to them. “Percy, it’s so nice to finally meet you. And you must be the lucky woman,” she said smoothly.

“As of right now, I can only guess that I am.”

Allura glanced at Percy and shared a smile with him, “You didn’t tell her?”

“I thought it would be a better surprise.”

“Why don’t we head on back and I’ll show it to you and you can try it on?” She gestured to the back where a curtain was drawn.

Vex squeezed Percy’s arm and then walked to the curtain. Behind it was a small workspace for where Allura obviously worked on new items or fixed up older ones, where she found the time Vex didn’t know. There was also a rack of different dresses and such that Vex paused to look at.

“Oh, those are some other commissions I’m finishing up for this season,” Allura commented and slipped past Vex to another rack. She ran her fingers over the different hangers before finally taking one off and spinning it around to show Vex.

It was a deep red, gown with black ribbon to lace it up, bell sleeves that would flow down to the wrist, and a low square neckline. It was the dress from her portrait, the dress she had loved so much. She had told Percy about it and even sketched it up once for him when he asked, and of course when they went to the museum they would stand in front of it and Vex would whisper in his ear stories about that dress.

Vex’s eyes were bright and her fingers brushed the fabric. “It’s absolutely perfect,” she breathed out.

“I was surprised how involved he was,” Allura admitted as she took the dress from its hanger. Vex, feeling transported to another time when she was regularly helped into her more extravagant outfits, began to undress. And, in a familiar dance, Vex let Allura help her get ready for her lover.

“He’s quite the perfectionist,” Vex said as she stepped into her new dress.

“I thought that he had a wife or someone who had very particular instructions for it, he had specific measurements and a design before he even reached out to me. And the whole time he was polite, you rarely find such…” Allura paused while she looked for the word and adjusted the shoulders of the dress.

“He’s very detail oriented, but he knows his manners.” There was a touch of pride in her voice.

They talked a little more as they continued, about the quality of the dress, how to care for it, how much she enjoyed working on it. And then, after a couple of very small adjustments, Vex turned to the mirror.

“Oh Pelor,” she whispered. Allura smiled at the obvious praise. Vex ran her hands over herself and looked at her different angles. She had worked for a long time to find the perfect amount of cleavage before she got this dress, she tried differently lengths and cuts, she had invented styles to provoke all sorts of emotions from her prey and lovers and rivals. This dress may not have been her greatest achievement or even her favorite piece of clothing, but it was one of the ones she’d had the most fun in.

“I’m pleased you like it. Are there any changes you want? I don’t want you to take it home if you’re not totally happy with it. Sometimes men will design what they want and their partners are perhaps looking for something a little different.” Vex briefly wondered if Allura exclusively worked in dresses and pirate shirts like this or if she would take commissions on something more intimate. Perhaps that was a conversation for another time.

“It’s like he read my mind,” Vex answered and turned back to look at Allura. “Thank you for all the work you put into this.”

There was little else to talk about and when they stepped out from the dressing/workroom they saw Percy, standing beside a rack with his hands behind his back and his chin high as he looked about with mild interest. He turned quickly when he heard them, a little of his eagerness showing through that perfect and pristine exterior.

“Vex’ahlia,” his voice was quiet as he looked her up and down. She smiled and walked over to him, a slight sway to her movements, and touched his bicep. She ran her fingers up and down his arm lightly until she felt where the rope rested and she added a small amount of pressure there. She didn’t miss the almost shaky breath he let out.

“This is a lovely gift, Percival. Thank you.” She kissed him quickly, a gentle peck that didn’t linger. Allura had turned her gaze from them to give them a moment but Vex didn’t plan to take advantage of that. She could thank Percy in private later.

“I should really be thanking Ms. Vysoren,” Percy said with a small nod to her, “she made it come to life.”

“It was a pleasure, really,” she assured them.

“Well thank you anyways,” Percy said. “I have a feeling I’ll be returning to you again, but for now I think we would like to walk around some more, take in the sights.”

“There’s a show in about an hour, it’s the big hit this season,” the short, angry looking woman said from her place by the counter. “Pretty fucking funny if I say so myself.”

“I like the sound of that,” Percy said, “We’ll be back again, I’m sure of it.”

“Enjoy your night!” Allura waved as they left the shop.

They spent the hour wandering around to different, little curious shops. Vex even found a handful of people willing to haggle, an art that she had mourned the loss of now that the world was so focused on set prices. Then they went to the show. It was hilarious, full of twists and turns and raunchy humor. And when it was over they left. Percy was touching where the rope had pressed against his skin too long and Vex was thinking of all the ways to show Percy how happy she was to have this dress. They could have stayed longer, it wouldn’t be closing for another couple of hours, but they were ready to finish their night back at home.

Percy was making his ways to the stairs, towards their bedroom, when Vex laid a hand on his shoulder. “There was something I wanted to see in your workshop, darling.”

Percy knew that voice. So casual, so light and gentle, like it was just a regular question, in this moment he couldn’t even imagine what she was planning but he knew it was not as innocent as the question. So he smiled and tilted his head to his workshop, “Of course, dear.”

There was an ornate wooden desk against one of the walls, there were workbenches and barrels and tools everywhere else, but the desk was mostly neat. There were notebooks, diagrams, a handful of small pieces and tools that Vex very carefully moved under his watchful and curious eye. And when the desk was clear and everything moved to a different table, Vex turned to face Percy and sat on the desk.

“You haven’t even taken your jacket off, Percy. Why don’t you undress, get a little more comfortable.” She leaned back to watch him with glittering eyes.

Percy shrugged his coat off and laid it carefully over the back of a chair. He then pulled his ascot off and folded it, then his shirt, his boots, his pants, his boxer briefs, until all that was left was black rope crisscrossed over his torso and a single loop around each bicep. Everything else lay carefully folded on the chair with his boots neatly set beside it. “Would you like my help with your dress?” Percy asked as he walked towards the desk.

“Later,” she promised, “Right now I’m quite comfortable.”

He pushed her dress up as he stepped between her thighs. She was wearing nothing underneath and Percy wondered when she had started planning this. “You’re beautiful,” he mused. His fingers pressed into her hips and pulled her closer to the edge of the desk.

Vex hooked one finger under the rope at his chest and pulled him in to kiss him. “You’re one to talk,” she said when she pulled away. “Now, why don’t I show you how much fun I can have in this dress.” She took his already hard length in her hand and guided him to her.

He slid into her with a quiet moan and she bit her lip and her fingernails scraped against his back. His arms flexed against the rope, drawing out a gasp and making his whole body grow tense, straining against its confines. It was a constant reminder; every time he moved and it made the rope grow taut or Vex’s dress brush against overly sensitive flesh or her fingers found the thin red lines on his skin that drew sharp gasps from him when she touched them.

“Is it too much?” She breathed in his ear after another whimper when she slipped one of her fingers under the rope. “I can take it off now if you need me to.”

“Don’t.” He kissed her with the sweet taste of desperation on his tongue, “Not yet,” he finished and kissed down her jaw to her neck. His left hand dropped to the desk, his fingers splayed out on the dark wood while his other hand pulled her even closer as he thrust into her.

“That’s it Percy,” Vex let go of Percy and dropped one hand behind her, leaning away to look at him, “just like that.”

His lips were parted while his brow furrowed as she leaned back he didn’t stop fucking into her or lean forward to kiss her again. He watched as her other hand moved down between them. Her eyes fluttered shut when she touched her clit. She felt Percy immediately shift his weight off his hand and when she opened her eyes she could see him already moving to take over for her.

“Don’t,” she commanded lightly, “just keep going and watch this time.”

He groaned and pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. He took her in for the hundredth time that night. He started with her dark eyes and the bright glint in them, her lips, her breasts, the color of the dress against her, the small and quick movements of her hand, the breathy sighs and moans and whimpers of his name.

“Vex,” his voice was strained and she could feel his grip on her tighten, “gods Vex, I’m so close.”

“What do you need?” He could hear it in her voice, she was there with him.

“Kiss me,” he pleaded quietly and before the words were out of his mouth she was already pressed against him again with her hand tangled in his hair, drawing him to her lips. They were, at the end of the day, romantics before anything else.

They didn’t last after that, both of them cascaded over the edge together, clinging to each other with lips pressed together and one of Vex’s fangs nicking Percy’s bottom lip. She hadn’t even realized she was hungry.

Vex untied the silk rope, she took a warm washcloth and cleaned him up and tenderly took care of where red marks showed the lines where rope had lay on his skin. He helped her out of her dress and he collapsed into bed while Vex warmed up the last bag of blood in the fridge and joined him after drinking some and pouring the rest into a wine glass to take to bed with her.

“I will have to talk to Pike about getting some more blood from the hospital next time I see her,” Vex mused as she climbed into bed with Percy.

He sat up as she got in, as wide awake as she was. He had changed his sleeping schedule early on in their relationship. He wasn’t up quite as late as Vex usually was, but it was only one in the morning and that was still early to him. “You have me until then,” he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she settled against him comfortably, “or we can find someone else if you can’t use me.”

The first night she fed on him she thought he had been out of his mind when he asked her to keep him around like that. He hadn’t changed though, even when they told Pike and she offered to help keep her and Vax fed Percy didn’t think it was wrong for her to enjoy a fresh meal from time to time, whether it was him or someone else. Hell, Percy didn’t seem to think it was wrong for her to keep feeding all the time. Which was nice. Vax took to the prepackaged blood immediately, after hundreds of years of feeling terrible about his needs he finally had a way out. Vex wasn’t against it of course, but sometimes she wanted more than that. Percy never shamed her for it and had often been her source. She couldn’t use him all the time, and when she couldn’t use him he helped her find someone she could.

Vax didn’t look down on her for it, he would never. He didn’t regret what he was either, because he was with his sister, but Vex knew he thought he was some kind of monster. He didn’t think Vex was one, but she didn’t see how he could be one and she wasn’t. He treated Pike’s solution as the closest thing to a cure and that had weighed on Vex for a while.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m missing everything,” she said as she took a drink from her glass. The dark red liquid clung to the wide even after she set it down. “What do people do during the day? I’m not even sure I could imagine it at this point.”

Percy looked at her and he could see the…longing there, mixed with pain and maybe even a little fear. “It’s not very different from the night, especially here in the city. Shops never close, people never sleep, the only real difference is people leave their desk jobs. Boring things anyways.”

“There’s so many people I’ll never even meet,” she mused.

“Most of them aren’t worth meeting,” he countered with that same lordly smugness that always made her smile.

“You’ll tell me if you meet anyone special, won’t you?”

“I like to think we’ll meet them together.”

Vex was quiet for a moment. This had been a conversation that they danced around occasionally. They didn’t dance around it as much as they tried not to talk about it at all. Eventually though, they had to have a real conversation about what they wanted. “I love you, Percy.” It was not something either of them said very often. They had so many ways of showing it and it was something that was obvious in every minute they were with each other, the words themselves didn’t really matter if they had better ways of proving it. Right now though, she didn’t know what else to say.

He kissed the top of her head. “We should talk about the elephant in the room, shouldn’t we?”

“I’m a little surprised you haven’t set up a full presentation on why I should do it, yet,” she took his hand in hers and kissed it to show him she was joking.

“I could put one together if you want.”

“Tempting, but I think I stand a better chance if we just talk.”

“Are we on opposite sides, then?” He didn’t seem terribly surprised, but he had lost the smooth and joking tone he had before.

“Sell me on your idea,” she whispered, almost pleadingly.

“It’s rather simple. I don’t want to be without you. And I don’t think you want to be without me. It’s more than that, though. Because I don’t want to be without you really just means I don’t want to be alone. Vex,” he pulled away and moved so he was sitting in front of her, “Vex I want to spend every day, or night, available to me with you. I want to spend a hundred lifetimes with you.”

She touched his cheek and the look in her eyes was so sad that it hurt him. She didn’t have to say anything for him to know he had lost, he wasn’t even finished with his monologue but there was no point. “How terribly human of you,” she whispered and pulled him into a hug. He let himself be pulled into her arms and he wrapped himself around her. “I would spend the rest of my unknowably long lifetime with you, Percy. In a heartbeat. I would turn you in a moment if it was my decision. But it’s not.” She ran her hands through his hair comfortingly and pretended not to notice that her shoulder was becoming wet with tears. She spoke softly and lovingly, because what else could she do in this moment? “There are so many things you aren’t seeing, darling. There’s a life you have right now that you can never take with you. Your museum, your title, your businesses. Percy, you have to age and die at some point, if you don’t then you have to disappear so nobody notices. And every time you begin to build yourself up again, you have to disappear again. When I was turned it would have been different, but you…you live in a different time. People notice and you can’t have both.”

“Then I will choose you,” he whispered into her shoulder.

She had hoped it would stop there so she did not have to say the next part. She had hoped he would understand before she had to hurt him. “Will you choose Cassandra over me?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. Vex knew exactly what he was going through. If it came down to having Percy or Vax…she wouldn’t have an answer either. She wouldn’t be able to make that choice and she didn’t want Percy to make that choice. Which meant that he would have her while he lived. And then she would lose him. That was the way it had to be.

So Vex just held him while Percy struggled knowing that there was no good answer, this was something he couldn’t win.

Eventually he slept, but it did not come easily and his dreams were not pleasant.

 

It was a few days later that Cassandra and Vex were walking in the museum together. Cassandra had asked her to come and Vex, reliving the guilt of what she had asked Percy a few nights earlier, almost said no. But she loved Cassandra like she loved her own sister, Velora. Velora travelled extensively now though and she hadn’t seen her in a few decades but Vex felt that the two of them would have gotten along.

They stopped in front of a painting of Pelor with his head like a small sun on his shoulders. Vex briefly wondered if he called upon her, would she be able to stand in front of him or would she burn? Was godly light different? It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t need her. (Little did she know what her future would bring.)

“Has my brother asked you to turn him yet?”

Vex looked around in shock, hoping nobody had heard them, but everyone seemed too absorbed in their own experience to notice. So Vex forced herself to relax and looked back to the painting. She could have lied, she was a good enough liar. Cassandra was smart though, and more than that Vex didn’t want to lie about this. “I told him I wouldn’t,” she promised quietly.

Cassandra looked at her curiously, “Why?” Then her cheeks went pink and she looked away again as she answered her own question, “You’re not there yet. I’m sorry, I thought—”

“If things were different,” Vex said gently, trying to hide the pain that was still rolling through her knowing that in her lifetime Percy’s time with her would be like the blink of an eye. “Too many people would miss him. He has an entire life, he doesn’t know what he would lose.” She looked over at Cass with a soft look and touched her arm, all in an attempt to make Cassandra see that Vex had no plans to take Percy from her.

“If it’s me you’re worried about,” she smiled and they walked to the next painting, “you don’t have to be. Obviously if you’re not ready to spend a literal eternity with my brother I understand on a very deep level, I grew up with him. But if you want to spend forever with him,” Cassandra smiled because she knew enough from the dumb look on Percy’s face whenever Vex came up in conversation to know the truth, “then you should.”

Vex wondered what it was about the de Rolos that made them so stubborn. Probably that noble blood. “And what about you, Cassandra? He would never want to watch you grow old and pass away in front of him like that. Vax—”

Cass stood up a little straighter and clasped her hands behind her back and Vex was struck with how much she looked like her brother in that moment. “I think a few more years first, perhaps even a year or two older than Percy that way I can lord it over him. I will make a much better immortal than he will, I’m already a better noble.” She was saying it like it was a joke, which only made it harder to process what she said at first.

“Cassandra, you—”

“We lost out entire family, Vex. All of them. You don’t have to worry about either of us having to lose each other because he swore to me back then that he was not leaving me again. You turned Vax for the same reason.” For a moment Vex almost wished she hadn’t told them the reason Vax had become a vampire, how he didn’t want to leave her to face the world alone. “There’s no reason for anyone here to suffer. Besides,” Cassandra turned around to face out to the rest of the museum. “I could make real use of immortality. I could help so many people, do so many things, see a whole world.”

Vex smiled and shook her head. When she talked like that she sounded like Velora did when she was asking to be turned. “You really want this?”

“I do. So does my brother. So do you. I don’t see the point in pretending about it. My brother prides himself on his ability to make the hard decisions. That is not at all what he does. He tells people things they don’t want to hear, but what he does is make selfish decisions. Not that it’s really a problem, the work he does and the goals he has usually means that selfish is in the best interests of the people. It does mean that when there are two things he wants, two things he can’t imagine not having, he doesn’t know what to do. That’s what’s happening right now. He doesn’t know how to get what he wants. We are missing the most important thing here, though. Nobody has asked what I want. That problem should be solved now.”

That was the end of that conversation. Vex didn’t say yes or no or even that she would talk to Percy about it again. Instead they moved on to other things and plans they had for the week and traded funny stories about Percy. Vex loved getting together with Cassandra and spending time with just the two of them, she really felt like a sister.

 

The next night she went to Vax, because they didn’t make decisions like this without each other.

“It was easy to stay hidden in the old days, and we had enough time to get good at it before things got this public all the time. Not only that, but there was nobody to miss us, Vex. Two people living on the streets, nobody gave a damn. Percy is high profile, he’s got pictures on magazines and a hand in businesses and politics. We can’t really fake his death without a major investigation and him likely being found out, but he also can’t just stop aging. People notice him, Vex’ahlia.”

Vex was draped over one of the armchairs in her brother’s library. “I know.”

Vex could hear the smile in her brother’s voice when he said, “He’s not very subtle either. The only one worse at hiding than he is would be Tary.”

Vex snorted at the concept of Tary as a vampire, immortal and unable to tell people. He’d be worse than she ever could have been, he’d probably start his own ‘Famed Author Taryon Darrington: An Immortal?’ conspiracy page. “I don’t want to watch him die, Vax,” she said quietly.

Vax came over and tapped her legs so that she would make room for him to sit beside her. He then pulled her into a hug and she let her cheek rest on his shoulder. “I know what you mean.”

“How are you and Grog?” They had started seeing each other not long after she and Percy became serious. Vex had known pretty quickly how taken they were with each other even if he’d never officially thanked her for convincing him to meet Percy’s friends.

“I have a feeling that I’m going to be talking him down from this idea soon too.” Vex wasn’t surprised, Grog was the kind of guy to jump into this life, or unlife technically.

“What will you tell him?”

Vax hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“If I did it, would you forgive me?”

“If you turned the man you loved into a creature of the night after informing him of the danger and what it all entails? Because he asked you to? There would be nothing to forgive, you wouldn’t have done anything wrong.”

“But you just said—”

“We can teach him what he needs to know about staying hidden. Cassandra will take to it better. We have time to create some sort of de Rolo curse or something before people really start to notice. You deserve to have people in your life, even if it’s much longer than we’d ever thought it would be.”

Vex pat her brother’s hand, “You do too.”

“I’m not saying if you should do it or not, just talk to him again. You’ll know what to do.”

They fell into comfortable silence for a while. And then Vax stuck a terrible, wet finger in her ear and she almost slaughtered him in retaliation. He was very lucky he was faster than she was.

 

It was another three days before she told Percy what Cassandra had suggested.

He was quiet at first, pondering the situation. “She’s right, she’s always been better at the ruling thing, even in just running the museum.” He smiled and seemed to relax, “I know you and Vax and I know my sister, she’s right when she says she’ll be good at it.”

“Percy,” Vex remembered that she wished she had someone to warn her of this life, someone to give her the option rather than forcing it upon her. Of course she had come to terms with it, found strength and she always said she never regret what she became, she didn’t even regret being out that night and being found by…well it didn’t matter. Still, it had been a long journey to those feelings and she wished she had someone to give her the choice, someone who cared enough to warn her. “Sometimes you feel like an animal, a monster even. And it’s terribly lonely, everyone you know…”

“Not everyone,” he was in the kitchen with Vex, making dinner for himself while she drank hers from a glass. “Won’t it be less lonely with us?”

Yes. It would. But that didn’t mean she would just turn him in their kitchen. “I just want you to think about this, Percy. What you’ll be giving up.”

He set the wooden spoon he’d been using to stir what was in the pot and turned around to face her. He took her face in his hands and looked down at her with unbridled love in his eyes that Vex was sure would have made her heart pound in her chest. “Everything I’ll gain will well be worth anything I could lose.”

“Percy…” she wasn’t sure what else to say, every time she tried to steer him away he talked his way out of it. And frankly, at this point, she was having a hard time justifying it to herself. She wanted him with her and if it was something she didn’t believe was evil and if Percy had made it obvious he didn’t think so either, then why stop him? Why not be there for him like she wanted?

“Doesn’t this feel a little too much like one of those vampire romance movies?” He teased and she smiled and kissed one of his palms on her cheek.

“Maybe those stupid vampire movies have something right.”

“If you don’t want this, if you think we shouldn’t do this, if you’re not ready for this, you don’t have to explain it to me again. Tell me no and I won’t ask you for it, but you haven’t said no. If you don’t want this I understand, but you aren’t going to make me stop wanting you.”

“Gods you’re so stubborn.” And she kissed him. And it wasn’t until the fire alarm started beeping that they remembered Percy was making dinner.

 

“Forever is a long time to love me,” she was running her fingers through his hair after he finished eating and they celebrated their decision in the way many newly engaged couples did, by having passionate sex. His had was resting on her chest now and she was lazily tracing patterns on his skin and playing with his hair.

“It is still not long enough for me.” He mused and pressed a kiss against her chest.

“It’s a big moment, I want you to remember that it was special. It’s not the most pleasant thing in the world, I want you to feel…different than I did. I could get some candles, some rose petals,” her shoulders shook a little as she laughed, “just like the way people lose their virginity in the movies.”

Percy sat up, a smirk already forming, “Is that part of the ritual?”

“Not technically, but I’m sure we can work it in. New vampires have incredible stamina.”

“I was under the impression I already did,” he sat up more and kissed her as if he wanted to prove it again.

She kissed him back for a moment before telling him, “I know, which is why I’m so excited to see even more of it. Right now though,” she took his hand in hers and rubbed her thumb in circles against him, partly to comfort him and partly for her, “we should really talk about this. Nobody asked me about it or told me what to do, I don’t want that for you.”

“I wish things could have been better,” what he knew about her early days infuriated him to no end.

“They will be with you,” she hated to admit it to anyone but Percy, but her beginning still affected her. Nobody would blame her, but she wanted to be better, to be past it, or at least look like she was.

Percy sat up a little straighter, “Let’s rewrite it, then. For both of us. Roses and candles is for boring people, we’ve never been boring. This is going to sound ridiculous but what if we did it at the Ren Faire? Would it be too hard to hide?”

“The Ren Faire? I mean, people can be turned just about anywhere, but it’s not exactly…well romantic or private there.”

“It’ll be ours and I doubt anyone will have the same story. And I know it’s not like it actually was in your days, but you could pretend things were different back then. It’s something familiar. It can be for both of us.”

She bit her lip and looked at him with that look in her eye that she always got when she started thinking up trouble, and Percy, always in sync with her, had the same look. “Another memorable first for us.”

“Really it’s incredibly in line with everything else we’ve done.”

“And I’m sure you’re going to say something that makes it very romantic, you always do.” She said that with a smile because she loved that about him, he could turn anything into a romantic moment, from dinner to reading on the couch together to when he was completely debauched and wrecked.

“What good vampire is turned with soft jazz in the background or shitty florescent lighting? All the stories talk about elaborate outfits and taverns and that kind of thing. It hardly seems fair that I get the short end of the vampire origin stories. And Vex, you deserve one you want to remember. Even if it’s a little backwards.”

“A fresh start for both of us,” she touched the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. “How about you show me that stamina you were talking about again.”

 

Percy wore a different outfit this time, a black coat with gold accents that hit the back of his calves and a black shirt underneath, he wore a rapier with rubies on the hilt and a steampunk styled pistol on his hip. Black, gold, and red seemed to be the theme for the night.

“Those are my favorite pair of your glasses,” Vex was already in the red dress, she had Percy help her before finishing his outfit.

His glasses were gold rimmed circles with two additional lenses for flair. He chuckled and said, “They don’t do anything special, but I wish I had more excuses to wear them.”

“The goth look is good on you too,” she smiled and laid a hand on his chest as if to comfort him and kissed his cheek, “Not that you aren’t always a little goth, darling.”

He turned to kiss her fully before saying, “I thought this might hide any stains that might occur tonight, but also a fitting introduction to the world of the undead. Like I said before, I am looking for the vampiric origin I deserve.”

Even after the kiss her dark red lipstick was still perfect and of course Percy felt the need to tempt fate and kiss her again before marveling at how nobody would have ever guessed that it wasn’t freshly applied. “You’re still sure about this?”

“Most definitely,” he assured her.

“At any point before you drink from me, we can stop.”

“If I ever even begin to doubt this, I will tell you,” he promised, “but I feel very good about my decision and I have for a long time.”

“We should leave soon, it will be easiest to go unnoticed during the show.”

Percy held his arm out to her and she took it with a gentle smile the way she would have done so long ago and he led her to the car.

 

They walked through the crowd without drawing much more attention than anyone else in fine costumes did, a few people pointing and whispering, a couple smiles and nods in their direction from others dressed like them, but they wouldn’t be missed, nobody would wonder where they had run off to when the show came ‘round. So when the show was getting ready to start they found themselves behind one of the shops that had closed far enough away from the show that they wouldn’t have to be worried about being heard. Technically that particular area had been closed, but they snuck past anyone who would have told them not to be there.

“Is this still what you want?” She asked when they were alone in the dark, so close to one another she could feel his warmth. Beside them Percy had placed his carefully folded coat and shirt, knowing that it would be hard for her to find a good place through all the layers but also just out of care for his belongings.

She heard his heart pounding away in his chest, “I have been ready to start my life with you for a very long time,” he whispered and his hands fell to her hips and he pulled her against him as he walked her back to the lean against the wall.

“I told you that you’d make this romantic,” she whispered and laced her fingers through his hair and bought him in for a kiss that neither of them could have been prepared for in terms of passion.

Vex didn’t stop kissing him as she lifted her dress up to her hips and Percy moved his hand to her cunt. She was already slick and wanting when he touched her. They had talked about this, about how Percy could distract himself from the pain with something like this. She had to drink heavily from him and how it would hurt much more than the usual feeding because to turn him she couldn’t use the venom that numbed his flesh, but immediately after he drank from her there was a high chance of him feeling need for something physical and impulsive. Usually this meant young vampires would feed on whatever was nearby without the sense to hold back, and they both agreed this was a better beginning than that.

With her back pressed against the wall and Percy’s hand between her thighs with his mouth pressed hard against hers she was reminded so clearly of their night at the museum. It felt right to feel so close to their beginning as they started their next chapter together.

“We don’t have to do this, this is kind of your last chance to back out, darling. I won’t blame you.”

“Oh don’t say that,” he panted and kissed down to her neck. He bit her, worrying her skin there between his teeth and drawing a small whimper from her. “I’ve already picked out my coffin and I took a Buzzfeed quiz about what kind of bat I’ll turn into.”

She laughed and felt the small amount of lingering fear that he was only doing this because he thought he was supposed to do it for her disappear. This was Percy, there was little he would agree to if he didn’t want it. And starting tonight she would get to spend—well hopefully she would get to spend forever with him.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his fingers stilling deep inside her without him meaning to. “This is what I want but Vex…I need to know this is what you want too. If it’s not, that’s perfectly—”

“I would like nothing more to spend my entire life with you. If that meant finding a way to become mortal again, I would. If you want me to make you immortal, I will gladly do so,” Vex touched his cheek and for a moment they simply took each other in.

“When do we start?” He whispered against her lips while he caught his breath.

“Whenever you ask me to,” she answered.

There was only a moment’s pause where he took one last shaky breath. “I want you to do it Vex,” he whispered. “Please.”

She rocked her hips against his hand, “Stay focused,” she commanded gently. “I promise I’ll take care of you,” she swore and ran her hand up his chest. She could feel his heart under her hand and how he was constantly moving to her, his hands clinging to her, his body pressing against hers, like the only way he could be sure she was there was if he was touching her.

“I know you will,” he sounded so sure, like he could never have even suspected that wasn’t the truth. And then he said, “And I will be here for you.” And she ached with love for him because how could she not?

He tilted his head to expose his neck to her, like he had so many times before, and she let her lips brush against his skin. She could feel his breath hitch and his thumb brushed her clit, stealing a gasp from her throat. “Don’t bite your lip, darling, this one is going to hurt.”

“Do you promise?” He asked cheekily and pressed deeper into her, turning her laugh into something breathy and desperate, simply because he knew he could.

“I’ve chosen you,” she said and he couldn’t tell if she was making fun of his joke, if it was a statement of her love, or if it was a part of what she had to do to start the change, but he didn’t say anything else.

Vex’s fangs sank into the curve of where his neck and shoulder met. He could feel her tear into him, feel the hot, wet blood welling up and flowing from him, he could feel it begin to spill down his chest before he felt Vex’s lips seal over the wound and she began to drink.

He grit his teeth in pain, holding back the shout that threatened to escape his lungs at first, and forced himself to breathe deeply and focus on Vex once more. His shoulder felt like it was on fire and he knew that his efforts to please Vex were not up to par, but this one time he figured it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

“Vex,” he finally whimpered when he felt like he could chance parting his lips. He felt her hand touch his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze before rubbing her thumb in circles against his skin.

He never stopped fingering her, crooking his fingers inside her more through muscle memory than anything else, and his thumb occasionally rubbing against her clit. But while he felt wonderful inside her, she never lost focus on him.

When he said her name and she knew she had drank enough, she pulled away from him and swiped her tongue over him one last time. “There you go, Percy,” she whispered and her hand cupped the back of his head and drew him to her own throat. “Take a moment, breathe for me, darling.” She felt him shaking against her, his hands long forgotten in their mission. “When I count to ten drink from me. You’ll know, you’ll feel it. I’ll take care of you.”

He nodded against her, trembling and feeling weak and his head was pounding, his vision blurring. And his mouth hurt, everything hurt. Vex had told him the fangs came first, that they were needed for him to feed on her, but he hadn’t really understood how quickly they came or how badly they would hurt.

He forced himself to focus on her countdown and when she got to ten he looked up at her with blue eyes that were even brighter than they had been before. “I will be here for you,” he promised her again. And then he pressed his lips to her throat in a brief kiss and whispered, “I’ve chosen you,” because if it was part of the ritual of a sire then he wished to make her feel like he could be that for her as well (after all, they had wished to rewrite her memory of this moment) and if it was not part of the ritual, then he simply wished her to know that he wished to be everything for her that she had been for him.

And then he bit her.

His fangs were sharper than they had been, but they weren’t like Vex’s, and he had never done this before. It was obviously messy and Vex dug her fingers into his arm while she kept from calling out. Her other hand was still in his hair and she held him to her neck, despite her instincts telling her to stop him.

Percy had never thought about Vex’s blood. He supposed that he thought it would be the same as any other, coppery and not exactly something he would go back for. His major worry of the night, after making sure Vex wanted this as badly as he did, was how he would be able to stomach that much blood. But she tasted better than anyone could have told him. There was simply no way to prepare for it. He was suddenly aware that his entire life even the best foods he’d eaten would never compare to this.

After a few moments the pain left Vex, first simply going numb (a sign of the change beginning to take a deeper effect), and then something that wasn’t related to his change but simply to him. He grabbed her thigh and pressed himself against her so she could feel the hardening line of his cock through his pants. Vex moaned, her pain already on its way to being forgotten, and licked her lips, still tasting Percy on them. “And here I was worried that it would take more time for you to get to this point.”

He didn’t release her but she felt his earlier hunger and desperation subside and when she tugged his hair lightly he pulled away without any hesitation. He did pass his tongue over her once, the same way she had after feeding from him, both to gather up one last taste and to help seal it quickly. It was a nice gesture, though not necessary due to her nature.

She could feel him trembling under her hands and she remembered the feeling intimately. His body would feel hot, his senses already beginning to pick up new things. He would hear individual voices from the show, see colors he’d barely noticed even with only moonlight to light the way, her skin would feel different under his fingers, and he would pick up smells he’d never even knew existed. And more than anything he would want. He would hunger. And as the maker of a fresh vampire, it was up to her to guide that hunger.

She pulled a handkerchief from her dress, as if it were some kind of movie where she was giving him her favor for a jousting competition, and she cleaned his neck as best she could before she wiped the blood from her own neck. She watched Percy while she did so. With his lips parted she could see his tongue run over his teeth, marveling at how quickly they changed, and his eyes darted around as they picked up a million new things. He was a man of science and she loved seeing his mind spin. But she was soon ready to have his attention again.

She turned his face back to look at her and his bright eyes took her in fully, his shoulders went slack and he slowly reached up to run his thumb against her cheek and then her lip. She teasingly caught it between her teeth before releasing it again. “I always thought I knew how beautiful you were,” he whispered, “but I had no idea.”

She shook her head at him and smiled, “We have plenty of time for flattery later, darling. How do you feel?”

He swallowed and she could feel his fingers tense against her for a moment, but his eyes never left hers when he said, “Hungry.”

“I can help with that,” she said smoothly and her hand drifted down between them to touch him through his clothes, “All you have to do is ask.”

He groaned and pressed his hips forward, “Please, Vex,” he whimpered.

“All this pent up energy,” her lips were brushing against his with every word, “show me what you can do with it.”

Percy’s lips crashed against hers. One of his fangs snagged her lip in his eagerness and her hands easily unlaced the front of his trousers and she drew him out. He pulled his fingers from her and lifted them to his lips. He shivered at her taste and promised himself to explore that at length before the night was through. For once though he didn’t have the patience to wait like that. It was all just too much in the moment and Vex seemed to understand with the way she was stroking him.

He took the place of her hand and guided himself into her, driving deep into her in one thrust. They both moaned and Vex broke away from his lips to toss her head back and say his name.

“Vex,” he whined when he felt her tighten around him, “I can’t—I’m not going to—”

She smiled and ran her hands up his chest before gently raking her nails back down, pulling a whimper from him. “I know darling, it’s alright. It’s intense at first. You don’t have to hold on for me this time, just enjoy it.” She draped her arms over his shoulders and kissed him again.

He stayed there, buried deep inside of her, hyper focused on how good she felt just like that, before he grabbed her by her thighs, lifted her up, and thrust up into her again. He dropped his head to her shoulder and she could feel him panting, no longer necessary but a familiar habit that she didn’t want him to grow out of, she liked it.

“Gods Percy,” she breathed out while he pushed her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him and moaned as he began to pound into her with a power she rarely saw from him. She could hear the quiet, almost growl deep in his throat and had to bite her lip to keep quiet, lest she draw unwanted attention.

“Vex’ahlia,” his voice sounded ragged and shaky when he said her name.

“I know, I know,” it was hard not to wish she was closer, not after being spoiled with Percy’s determination to make sure she was satisfied before he was, but she couldn’t hold this against him. Everything was so much at the beginning.

His teeth dug into her shoulder, not like they had before when he needed to drink but like he would when he was trying to muffle his groans as he came. He did forget about his new fangs and for a moment before the small pricks healed he could taste her blood again and he shivered.

He stayed pressed up against her for a moment like that before he carefully lowered her feet back to the ground. She touched his chin and brought his lips to hers, tasting hints of her essence on his tongue, and then she pulled back. “Better?” She asked.

He kissed her again, then kissed her neck and dragged his teeth lightly over her before kissing along the line of her dress. His eyes flicked up to meet hers, “Almost.” And he lowered himself to his knees in front of her.

She arched her eyebrow at him and gathered her dress up in her hands again since it had fallen back down. “You’ve quite the appetite,” her smirked down at him.

He kissed the inside of her thigh, his eyes never leaving hers, “I could spend the rest of my life here,” he kissed just a little higher, “and now when I say that it has some real weight behind it.”

“You do look quite nice there,” she admitted and her eyes closed when he gently pulled one of her legs over his shoulder to open her up for him.

He didn’t say anything else and she was about to make a joke about how he shouldn’t have lost his wit when she felt his tongue lick up her slit and her hand flew down to tangle her fingers in his snow white hair.

For a moment Percy felt dizzy. The taste of her, of him, it was so much more intense than he’d anticipated and he pushed his tongue into her, desperate for more. When he flicked his tongue over her clit he felt her grip on his hair tighten, holding him to her, and he lifted his fingers to just below his chin, sliding two into her with ease.

“I didn’t expect this kind of treatment until we got home,” she joked but it was broken up with short gasps and sighs.

Percy’s lips sealed around her clit and he sucked and licked while his fingers crooked perfectly inside her, making her hips buck against him. Vex didn’t last terribly long under his focused and determined ministrations. And Percy could feel her thighs shaking and the soft whimpers of his name, he knew she was close. And he was already hard again.

His hand went to the back of his head where hers was still tangled in his hair, he pressed hard against her hand, pushing him forward, and she understood immediately that he wanted her to take control of him. He dropped his hand away when she ground herself against his mouth and he pulled his fingers from her cunt and, his fingers still slick with her, he grabbed his cock and moaned into her as he started to stroke himself.

“Again?” She laughed breathily, “I can’t wait to get home with you.”

His movements were quick and he knew that before long he’d cum again. But this time Vex was there with him, using his mouth to get her there, and while determined to hold on for her this time he knew it wouldn’t have to be long.

When she came he could taste the flood of her and with one last jerky movement of his hand he came. Most of it spilled into his hand, thankfully the rest splattered to the ground. He was sure that if it had landed on her and he had to clean her up he would have gotten caught up in her all over again.

He brought her down slowly, his mouth not leaving her until she pulled him away. He stayed on his knees for a moment, drinking in the scent and the sight of her. It wasn’t until she spoke that he refocused. “Are you ready to go home?”

He smiled up at her, “Yes. I feel…” he paused while he tried to find the words, “more in control I suppose.”

She caught his chin with her hand and leaned down to kiss him. “Stay here for a moment.”

He nodded and watched her go over to his clothes. She pulled a new handkerchief from his coat and draped his shirt and jacket over her arm before coming back to him. She handed him the white cloth to clean himself up, which he thanked her for and carefully folded it so he could pocket it without worry and wash it later. Then he stood, laced up his pants, and dressed again.

She watched him shift uncomfortably in his clothes when he was done, “I know,” she mused and ran her hand up under his shirt, “Then sensitivity will go down in a few days.”

He nodded and held his arm out to her, which she took gracefully, and they walked back to where the play was wrapping up.

“So this is the world?” There was an awed tone to his voice when they were surrounded by people again.

“It is,” she had a small smile and he could tell she was happy to share this with him, that he could be a part of all the things he had missed before. “How do you feel, darling?” She asked, a little more seriously.

“Stimulated,” he said with a wry grin. “Was it like this for you?” His eyes kept darting around, trying to take it all in.

“Crowded, loud, and with everyone looking delicious in more ways than one?” she asked cheekily. “Yes and no. I will admit, this time is much more pleasant.” She squeezed his forearm under her hand.

“We have all the time in the world for you to show me how to be the perfect vampire, but right now I would like to go back to the privacy of our own home and explore the very best parts of it with you at enormous length.”

She laughed and said, “That sounds like exactly what I had in mind.”

They began to head for the exit, talking quietly amongst themselves about things he was starting to see and hear. And, just before they reached the exit someone stopped them, his hand grabbing Percy’s shoulder and Vex could see the flash in his eyes, instinct beginning to call out. She spoke quickly and with a smile, trying to give Percy a moment to calm himself. “Hi, we’ve met before haven’t we?”

“Yeah, a couple weeks ago. Hard to forget a guy with hair like that.” It was the man with the thick beard and jovial smile who had showed them how to get to Allura’s. He had a deep, hearty laugh that he used when he gestured to Percy’s hair and let go of his shoulder. “I just wanted to say you guys really bring you’re A game. Next weekend come by again, we’re doing a new show and there’s gonna be a big competition, might be some prizes we give out to people for outfits and amateur sword fighting and so on.”

Percy nodded stiffly, “That sounds delightful. You were telling me the other day how you used to do some sword fighting, Vex’ahlia.”

She gave him a small grin, “Gosh it feels like hundreds of years ago since I did anything like that. Maybe I’ll give it a shot, though. We should head home though.”

The man in front of them nodded and then pointed to Percy, “I see you went with the fangs, man! They look great, really pulls the look together!”

Percy nodded once, “Yes, I’m very happy with them already. We’ll be seeing you soon, I’m sure.”

The man laughed and said his goodbyes, leaving Vex and Percy to go home and sate their hunger in more intimate ways.

 

Grog was frowning and glaring down at his hands when Vex walked up to him at the bar. “Are you not having fun Grog?”

He grunted and refused to look up when he answered, “I still can’t turn into a bat.”

Vex smiled and shook her head, “Grog, you aren’t turn into a bat.”

“Hey!” Scanlan walked up in that moment, also looking for a drink, “Don’t limit him like that! I know you’ll figure it out like the rest of us, Grog.” Scanlan winked and Grog seemed to focus even harder on his hands.

Vex sighed and turned to the bartender. She opened her mouth and before she could order she heard Keyleth call her name and she turned to see the redhead coming over. “Percy said he requested the next song but he won’t tell me what it is. Any ideas?”

Vex looked over at her husband who was talking to Tary and making wild gestures with his hands. Nobody knew they were married yet, there were so few things they had for themselves and they weren’t ready to give that one up yet. There would be another wedding someday when they had to remake themselves with new identities, their friends could be at that one.

“No idea, but I’m sure it’ll be worth the suspense,” she said with a soft smile.

Percy looked up and saw her staring at him and returned the smile and waved her over. She looked back to the bar. Almost everyone here had a glass, and while she rarely had anything other than blood she wouldn’t have minded blending in. But she could wait.

“Come on,” she said and pulled Keyleth back to the dance floor with her.

Pike and Vax were talking in a corner booth, laughing and having a good time. Vex caught her brother’s attention and waved him over while Keyleth called for Grog and Scanlan.

They formed an uneven circle and Percy grinned as the song began to fade out. “I know you’re wondering why I gathered you all here today,” he said with that cocky smirk Vex adored.

The song began to play and Vex bit back her grin as she realized what it was.

“It’s our first Halloween together since we all became creatures of the night.”

The others began to look at each other, each of them waiting for another to make the first move.

“And I figured it only right that we christen it properly.”

And with little prompting they all broke into mostly terrible dances.

And so, the new vampire clan that would call themselves Vox Machina was made official with the first annual dance to “Monster Mash”.

**Author's Note:**

> I love vampires, self-made families, eternal love, and the idea of a pack. And the Monster Mash. Have a happy Halloween, friends.


End file.
